'Making London a Living Wage City' is a campaign launched by Citizens UK and Trust for London, to put £635m of wages back into the pockets of low-wage workers in London. Our vision is simple - we would like everyone in the capital to get the real Living Wage.

Rent is up, bills are through the roof and millions of workers are still not being paid a real Living Wage. The rising costs of living are affecting everyone, and the lowest paid are at the sharp end - but it doesn't have to be this way.

London Citizens and the Living Wage Foundation are working with the Mayor of London to make London a Living Wage City. As well as focusing on the issues around low pay and the cost of living crisis, the impact of the new funding will also tackle precarious work through Living Hours – a standard to help workers get the hours they need to make ends meet and protect them from job insecurity.

What is the London Living Wage?

The impact of low pay

Earning less than what it costs to live has pervasive effects on health and family life. A recent Living Wage Foundation study found that 27% of full-time workers earning less than the Living Wage had skipped meals regularly for financial reasons in the past year; 46% thought the pay they received negatively affected their anxiety levels, and 31% of parents said that the pay they received negatively affected their relationships with their children.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone needs to earn a wage they can live on, that provides security.

Who's affected by low pay in London?

As is the case across the country, low pay is a gender issue in London. 24% of women in the capital are paid below the Living Wage, compared to just 16% of men.

Workers from racialised groups are more likely to experience low pay in the capital. Living Wage Foundation research shows that across the UK, Black workers are around 50% more likely to earn below the Living Wage than white workers are and racialised communities are more likely to experience insecurity at work. The fact that London has the largest ethnicity pay gap of all regions of the UK suggests that such low pay disparities will be more pronounced still in the capital.

People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by low pay. Among low-income Londoners such as social housing tenants, those with a disability are paid 23% less than those without a disability. Low pay in social care also affects those with disabilities because it reduces the continuity and quality of care received.

Institution-Specific Resources

Here are some institution-specific resources we recommended to members to raise the profile of this campaign.

• Anglican/Catholic: organise a celebration of care workers in your church: Service For Caregivers
• Muslim: Organise a roundtable in your Mosque on Islam and in-work poverty: Muslims & the real Living Wage
• School: Run a school assembly or lesson on the Living Wage: Schools & the real Living Wage
• Youth Groups: Activities for young people to get involved in the Living Wage campaign: Youth groups & the Real Living Wage

BACKGROUND

In 2007, Trust for London invested close to £1m in the Living Wage campaign as part of a 4-year Special Initiative. That £1m generated a £100m social impact of pay increases for people on low incomes. The Special Initiative also enabled the creation of the Living Wage Foundation, which now 10 years on, has brought the total impact of the campaign up to £1.3bn of increased wages (around 45% of this in London, and not counting the additional impact created through the Government’s increased minimum wage). There is an opportunity to create a second step change in the impact of this campaign through ‘Making London a Living Wage City’.

Trust for London funding will boost Citizens UK’s capacity to organise workers and communities; engage and accredit employers to pay the real Living Wage; and further build the profile and support for their biggest campaign.